Christmas Hair Loss
Christmas is a time for celebration and relaxation with friends and family, but for some unfortunate few the prospect of hair loss rears its head. Different times of the year bring their own challenges and stresses and 2020 has been one of the most challenging in recent times. A year when for the majority we have been deprived of the privilege to celebrate and spend time with those we love the most and the Christmas period in 2020 is going to be much of the same. While 2020 will provide an exaggerated of Christmas time hair loss, its not uncommon to for men and women to see hair loss over the Christmas period. There can be a multitude of reasons for why this happens.
The main association with Christmas time hair loss is with increased stress levels. As winter sets in, the temperatures drop and we have fewer and fewer hours of sunlight per day, stress levels are naturally going to increase. Christmas itself as a holiday can be particularly stressful, as for many people our workload can increase. This is especially for anyone that works in the retail sector as Christmas shopping ramps up. The prospect of meetups with our extended families again can be a source of stress. Hosting the family Christmas Day dinner is a task that not many envy! The stress of making sure everything is ready on time and cooking the Turkey to perfection are no easy task. No one wants to be responsible for a dry, overcooked turkey. All of these factors mixed together can spell a recipe for disaster if it all becomes unmanageable.
Stress can cause sudden and dramatic hair loss that can hard to explain. When our body and mind are under high levels of stress, there is a natural move by our body to prioritise the function of our most vital organs and bodily functions. Hair growth is bottom of the list when it comes to functions that our body prioritises and this makes stress related hair loss that much more common. Stress related hair loss is a temporary form of hair loss. Once the body has been able to make a full recovery and resume all regular bodily functions, the hair will regrow as normal. Unfortunately hair loss can cause a large increase in stress levels for many and lengthen the time necessary to recover.
To top this off, winter seasonal shedding can also contribute to increase the amount of hair loss seen over the Christmas period. Seasonal shedding happens due to the drop in the amount of sunlight that we are exposed to. One of the major roles of hair is to protect the scalp from harmful UV rays from the sun. During the winter months this isn’t so important, so we naturally shed some of our older hairs that may have become damaged and weaker over time. The new hair that grows in its place will be healthier and in place for the next summer.
Both causes of hair loss are temporary and will regrow over time. While it can be difficult to put the hair loss to the back of your mind if you do see any over Christmas, before you know it your hair will be back growing as healthy as ever.